The North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show (NAHBS) has proven to be a showcase for bicycles and ideas that find their way into mass-market bikes, and into the mainstream. “Touring bicycles” have followed a hard line for decades, demanding 700c wheels, drop handlebars, and attachment points for fenders, racks, and water bottles. Recently, the traditional touring bike has been challenged by modern concepts born on the dirt tracks of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR), above treeline on the Colorado Trail, and on the 1100-mile Alaskan Iditarod Trail. Riding off-pavement promises low traffic volumes, excellent camping, and extraordinary scenery. To access remote settings via unpaved routes, several deviations from the concept of a traditional touring bike can help.